Inside The Bills

Today we brought you an update on Kevin Everett and what he’s been up to now almost five years removed from his playing career with the Bills. He’s now a father of two girls with a third daughter on the way in December. Here’s a photo of him with wife Wiande and daughters, Famatta (3) and Faith (2).

Former Bills TE Kevin Everett, who will be five years removed from the hit that ended his NFL career on Sunday, is busy raising a family in Houston, Texas. Though he walked just months after a near fatal cervical spine fracture, Everett still has physical limitations as a result of the injury. The good news is time has helped him to better cope with most of those shortcomings.

“To be quite honest I can’t say that much has changed as far as my physical status, but my mental has changed a lot,” Everett told Buffalobills.com. “I’ve learned how to deal with it and cope with it a whole lot better. I’ve become mentally stronger and spiritually stronger to deal with it. I’m doing a whole lot better with that aspect of it all.”

For the full story on Kevin Everett five years later, go to the home page of Buffalobills.com.

Knowing a fair amount of Bills fans are always interested in how Kevin Everett is making out these days, now three years removed from his spinal cord injury, here’s a recent write up on the former Bills tight end.

Some Bills fans have asked about former TE Kevin Everett and how he’s faring these days. A program called ‘Athlete 360′ is providing an update.

It’s proven difficult for a lot of Time Warner Cable subscribers to find the program, but there is a way to see the entire episode containing Everett online. Just go to the listing on this page and click on the watch link for the Everett episode. The series is based out of the TIRR Memorial Hermann hospital in Houston where Everett was initially transferred after leaving Millard Fillmore Gates Circle hospital in Buffalo.

There really isn’t a lot of new information as most of the program goes through the 2007 injury, but he does mention how he lives with pain every day throughout his body. He is still deciding what it is he wants to do with the rest of his life. Still I know a lot of Bills fans are interested in finding out what is new with Everett. So the episode delves a bit into his personal life.

Do you know how the “Bills'” name came about? And if so, what exactly does “Bills” stand for?

Currently in Baghdad, Iraq and was part of an interesting discussion with some guys the other day.
Thanks,
Mark

CB: Here’s your answer on the origin of the “Bills” team name. It goes all the way back to 1946 when in an effort to generate more fan interest and distinguish the All-American Football Conference team from the city’s minor league baseball and hockey teams, which were also called the Bisons, the team ran a contest to select a new name. Over 4,500 entries were submitted, and the “Bills” won out over “Bullets” “Nickels” and “Blue Devils.”

James F. Dyson, though not the only one to suggest Bills with his entry, was named the winner of the $500 grand prize based on his essay comparing the team to a band of “Buffalo Bills.”

When Ralph Wilson founded the AFL club in 1959 they adopted the name left behind by the AAFC team.

2. Hi Chris
I am a long time Bills fan, and am wondering what role you think the following three young players (I like them all) will have on the team come regular season: Steve Johnson, Reggie Corner and Ellis Lankster.

Thanks
Chris Straus

CB: Right now Reggie Corner is the nickel cornerback. That could change however, once Drayton Florence returns to the lineup. Steve Johnson and Ellis Lankster are two players that will find it hard to be on the active roster on game day when seven players must be inactive. Johnson has a greater chance to make a contribution than Lankster, but it might not come unless there is an injury or two at receiver.

3. Chris- When players look at still photos on the sidelines, what information can they get from that to help during the game?
Thanks TM

CB: Offensive players are looking at the defense’s pre-snap look and then there will be another photo after that which reveals how they defended the play out of that look. Quarterbacks can see how the opponent disguised a defensive play call on a particular down and distance so if that look is shown again later in the game they have a better idea as to what might be coming on a 3rd-and-medium. That’s just one example, but there’s valuable info they can get off those photos when assembled in sequence.
HI Chris.

4. I am a big Bills fan, and I was wondering what you thought about Dick Jauron’s comments about the 3-4 defense. And how he said he’s not opposed to using it and that you need the right personnel. Personally I think our defense is showing improvement but I really think that they need to get out of the middle of the pack and get to the top 10 this season for success. Though it is far too late to be thinking of this, I think we do have the right personnel for 3-4 defense. You would have Marcus Stroud as the NT, move John McCargo to DE and Spencer Johnson to DE. Then you move Aaron Schobel and Aaron Maybin to OLB. And then slide Mitchell into ILB with Paul Pozluszny. What do you think of this. I understand it would be impossible to incorporate now but do you think it could have worked?.

Thanks and Go Bills!
Kevin

CB: It’s an interesting plan you have there with the exception of Stroud at the nose. In his first edition of Marcus’ Mailbag on Buffalobills.com this week he said he does not consider himself a two-gap nose and would rather play the five-technique (DE) in the 3-4 if it came to changing the front. I think all your other moves are realistic.

Who knows? With a strong DT class coming out in 2010, maybe some more serious thought can be given to that idea in the future. But not this season.

5. Chris,

I hope all is well with you today! My son and I were curious how Kevin is doing? Do you plan on doing any updates?

Darin
Nashville Bills Backer!!!

CB: I don’t have any updates for you on Kevin Everett. For all of us Kevin will always be a Bill, but now that he’s no longer with the team we don’t keep track of him and his progress as much as we used to. To keep up to speed on what he’s doing I encourage you to go to his website at the following link (below). He’s got a blog page there as well as a link where you can send him an email. I’m sure he’d be glad to reconnect with some Bills fans.http://www.thekevineverettfoundation.org/AbouttheFoundation.asp

After missing all of Florida’s 2008 National Championship season due to an ACL injury last August TE Cornelius Ingram is eager to prove he’s healthy. When I asked him how he can use this workout forum to prove he’s back, he had a quick quip.

“Pass all the physicals,” said Ingram. “I went through a lot of them already. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but I know my knee is healthy. And this weekend I have to run well and work out pretty decent to show them that I’m back to 100 percent and that’s what I plan on doing.”

Ingram said he will work out, but didn’t confirm that he would do everything on Saturday when tight ends are up.

“I feel great, I’ve been cleared and I’m pretty much thinking about doing everything here at the combine,” said Ingram.

If Ingram can post a good 40-time that’s close to his times which are usually in the mid to high 4.6s he’ll solidify himself as a 3rd round pick. Ironically some scouts compare his athletic ability to that of former Bills TE Kevin Everett.